Current work vehicles, such as tractors and other agricultural vehicles, include an engine and a transmission, such as a power shift transmission (PST) or a continuously variable transmission (CVT), rotatably coupled to the engine. In addition, work vehicles typically include an electronic controller that is configured to control the operation of the engine and the transmission to achieve desired operation. For example, an operator may provide an input to the controller selecting a desired ground speed for the work vehicle. Based on the operator input, the controller may be configured to automatically control the operation of the engine and/or the transmission such that the actual speed of the work vehicle matches the desired speed selected by the operator.
Typically, when an operator commands that the ground speed of a work vehicle be increased, a control algorithm is implemented to accelerate the vehicle. Unfortunately, conventional control algorithms tend to cause undesired operational effects when the controller detects that the engine is operating at or near its power limit. Specifically, such control algorithms often result in oscillations in the acceleration of the work vehicle due to errors in the acceleration target at or near the engine's power limit. This is particularly true when the power take-off (PTO) is engaged and the power being supplied to the PTO is unknown. To address the oscillation issue, manufacturers have attempted to reduce the responsiveness of the control algorithm in order to achieve more stable acceleration. Unfortunately, this leads to extremely slow vehicle acceleration, which is undesirable for consumers.
Accordingly, an improved system and method for controlling the acceleration of a work vehicle would be welcomed in the technology.